The second installment in “The Hunger Games” series manages to pull off that most rare of sequel feats; an improvement on the original. The social themes that the first film avoided come more to the forefront, even if they are not as obvious to the heroine, Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence).

Katniss has returned to District 12, where she is trying to go back to her pre-Hunger Games life. She hunts in the woods with her best friend Gale Hawthorne (Liam Helmsworth) still, but suffers from a Games flashback when taking a bead on a flock of turkeys.

And her PTSD is about to get worse, because she and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) are about to embark on the compulsory “Victory Tour” of the other Districts. The entire country of Panem has the impression that Katniss and Peeta are madly in love because of their nearly successful suicide pact that produced the only co-winners ever recorded in the history of the Games. On Peeta’s part, it’s true; he is in love with Katniss. But he knows that she doesn’t feel the same way about him, despite the public face she puts on.

Katniss arrives home after hunting with Gale to find that she has a most important visitor; President Snow (Donald Sutherland) has come to let her know that her little act of defiance in the Games has sparked violent rebellion in the Districts. He warns her that she must convince the nation that her love for Peeta is real, or the country may be facing civil war. If she cannot convince him, he will kill her family and Gale.

Katniss puts on a good show for the cameras at home. But her resolve is tested at their first stop: District 11, the home of her Games ally and friend Rue (Amandla Sternberg), who was killed by another Tribute during the Games. After she nervously thanks Rue’s mother for her life, an old man whistles the notes that Rue taught Katniss in the Games, holding his hand up in the three-fingered salute she gave to District 11 after Rue’s death. The crowd follows suit. Katniss is touched, but the security guards are not. They break through the crowd and drag the old man up on stage while others shove her into the building behind. As the door closes, Katniss sees the old man as he is executed.

Katniss tells Peeta and their mentor Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrleson) that Snow had threatened her and her family if she didn’t do well on the tour. They all resolve to stick to the Capitol’s script, but it’s too late. Snow and his new Head Gamemaker, Plutarch Heavensbee (Philip Seymour Hoffman) have decided that for the upcoming 75th anniversary of the Games, Katniss and Peeta will return to the Arena, along with previous winners from other Games.

Extras:
• Surviving the Game – Making Catching Fire: BD exclusive nine-part feature documentary (that actually runs about 15 minutes longer than the film). Covers all the bases: cast, crew, screenplay, location shooting, special effects. Interesting, but overlong.
• Audio commentary with director Francis Lawrence and producer Nina Jacobson. • Deleted scenes • Sneak peek of ‘Divergent:’ Next dystopian future teen franchise based on the trilogy by Veronica Roth. Not sure how that’s going to play, but I don’t think it will be on the same level as this series.
• Ultraviolet digital copy

Lawrence continues to show her acting chops as Katniss; it’s apparent that she is going to continue to be an actress to watch. Henderson gets to flesh out his character a bit more, but he’s still a little wooden. The new additions, especially Jena Malone as Johanna Mason and Sam Clafin as Finnick Odair add a lot to the third act. And as is prevalent in the “Harry Potter” series, the older actors (Jeffrey Wright, Amanda Plummer, Stanley Tucci, Harrelson) are starting to fade into the background in favor of the younger princpals.

There’s no mention of the recent death of Hoffman, who played Plutarch Heavensbee. (You have to love the names that series author Suzanne Collins invents.) That’s not really surprising, as he died February 2, and this disc was probably already being manufactured at that point. Hoffman had already finished all but one key scene in the final film in the series, “Mockingjay, Part II.” Lionsgate has announced that he will be digitally recreated for the missing scene.

Unlike the first chapter, there is no child-on-child violence in this film. But there’s still plenty of violence to go around, especially once the Games begin, so I once again caution parents to pay heed to the PG-13 rating.

The social themes implied in the first film and expanded upon as the book series progresses are much more in view here, starting with Snow’s interview with Katniss in the first act. In the DVD extras for the first film, Sutherland reads a three-page letter to director Gary Ross about his interpretation of the character. That is not revisited in the extras, but it is apparent in Sutherland’s execution of the character. Snow essentially accuses Katniss of fomenting a revolution, and chillingly warns her of the costs that will be exacted on her family and the country if she cannot extinguish it.

The totalitarian state of Panem is addressed in the first film by the Reaping and the Games. In this film, the repression becomes more acute as the rebellion spreads. The security forces now wear full helmets that disguise their faces, giving them the guise of stormtroopers. Snow and Heavensbee enact plans that take away the meager freedoms the Districts have, such as their black markets. Katniss and Peeta observe firsthand the opulence of the Capitol at the expense of the Districts.

As with the first film, viewers will pull their own allegories and conclusions from the social themes. Some will see parallels from history; others will find links to today. What I like is that the films encourage viewers to think about how their government’s actions reflect on them and how it affects what they do. There will be those who complain about the themes explored in the film and how appropriate they are. If you find a review like that, all I can suggest is that you examine the motivations of the reviewer and how much they have invested in the status quo.

Bottom line: As I stated above, this film improves on its predecessor, which is a rare treat in these days of by-the-numbers sequels. If you own the first one, you’ll want to pick this one up as well. And since the third act is shot in IMAX, the BD version will play really well on HDTVs.